1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic film processor for passing an exposed film successively through developing, fixing, rinsing and drying stations to effect automatic development of the film.
2. Prior Art Statement
The known automatic film processors for the automatic development of an exposed film include the roller conveyor type, loop type and horizontal conveying type.
In the roller conveyor type processor, the film is passed through the treating liquids (such as developing liquid, fixing liquid and rinsing water) by a number of rollers. This type of processor has disadvantages in that its construction is complicated and troublesome maintenance is required. In the loop type processor, the film is conveyed by rollers disposed above and below each of the treating liquid vessels. The disadvantages of this type of processor are similar to those of the roller conveyor type processor in that construction is complicated and maintenance is troublesome. In the horizontal conveying type processor, the film is conveyed linearly in the horizontal direction and treating liquids are vigorously sprayed onto the conveyed film. However, the treating liquids, and particularly the developer liquid, are deteriorated due to oxidation.
The known automatic developers have further disadvantages in that they are large in size for the following reasons. In the roller conveyor type processor, the film is conveyed through each of the treating liquid vessels by a number of rollers disposed deep in the vessel which extends vertically for a long distance. In the loop conveying processor, the film is suspended between the rollers disposed at the upper and lower portions in the treating liquid vessels which are large in size. In the horizontal conveying type processor, the film is conveyed horizontally and each treating liquid is vigorously sprayed onto the film. However, in order to complete the treatment at a high speed, the film must contact each treating liquid by a long pass in the horizontal direction, which results in the increased size of the device. This virtually limits the treating speed of the device. The horizontal conveying type processor has another disadvantage in that it requires a pump for ejecting the treating liquid which complicates the structure of the film processor.
In the automatic film processor in which an exposed film is processed continuously, successive processing operations including development, fixing and rinsing must be conducted in order and then the film should be dried sufficiently. In the drying step, water must be thoroughly removed, for example, by the use of a sponge. If water drops are left on the film, blurs are formed on the surface of the dried film. Drying at an excessively high temperature results in deterioration in granularity due to softening of the gelatine membrane, which might cause intense curling. On the contrary, the treating speed of the entire system is decreased if the drying speed is lowered.